Voice of the People: Where Is Fair?

Republicans think an extension of the Bush tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year, makes for good politics.

Democrats, led by President Obama, want tax rates to return to their pre-2001 levels for households earning more than $250,000 per year and for individuals earning more than $200,000.

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Democrats also believe you deserve the truth.

If veterans are going to have to give up benefits to pay for $700 billion in Republican tax breaks for the richest two percent of Americans, then they deserve to know what they really fought for.

GOP leaders have largely avoided explaining how they would pay for extending the top-tier tax cuts.

Republicans voted to cut Medicare benefits and sought to privatize Social Security, which would have gambled away America’s retirement fund on Wall Street just months before the latest stock market crash.

Social Security is under another Republican attack, this time with GOP calls for higher retirement age and lower beenfits.

Republicans voted to kill thousands of Americans by denying us fair access to medical care. Their deregulation frenzy allowed polluters to poison our children while swindlers robbed millions of hard working middle class families, including many seniors.

The mortgage crisis that dramatically reduced your property value was another result of Republican deregulation. If you are unemployed, there’s a good chance Republicans either deregulated your job or exported it overseas.

Anti-government Republicans do not speak for truly patriotic Americans. Those of us who love our country know we can make public institutions work better, but right-wing politicians who say we don’t need government are simply delusional.

Republicans are lying when they say taxes are too high, because the truth is, taxes are just unfair. Middle-class Americans deserve a tax break, but wealthy citizens need to pay their fair share so we don’t bury our children in debt.